


Sitting in a Circle

by DreamingKate



Category: Glee
Genre: AU Klaine, M/M, OCD, PTSD, Past Abuse, pre-klaine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 20:39:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3502043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingKate/pseuds/DreamingKate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurt loved his job. He got to help people who were going through the same struggles he went through. Blaine reminded him so much of who he used to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sitting in a Circle

Perfect. 

Some people called Kurt a control freak but he just liked things to look good. He liked the cups to be in five even stacks, he liked the cookies to be arranged in an arch, and he liked two stacks of plates.

Logically he knew that the OCD came from him feeling out of control. He worked so hard to make everything perfect when he was dating Darryl and it lingered. He could still remember panicking as he made sure the house was perfectly clean and that he was being perfect. 

Lots of things had changed when he finally got help, when he finally admitted that he was in an abusive relationship. He built back his self-confidence and finally felt like he was in a good place. 

But this stupid thing lingered. 

“Hi Kurt,” a middle aged woman gave him a shy smile as she walked.

“Hi Gina,” he nodded. “Come on in.”

The room steadily filled and Kurt made sure to greet every person, most of them regulars or family members. Then a newcomer walked in. The man was small but maybe that was because of how far his shoulders were curled in. Another man walked behind him, classically handsome, and smiling brightly. 

“Hi!” Kurt walked towards them. “I’m Kurt Hummel, the facilitator of this meeting.”

“Hey!” The taller man seemed bubbly but there was a tinge of nervousness and stress in his eyes. “I’m Cooper and this is my little brother Blaine.”

“So nice to meet you. If you’ll take a seat we can get started,” Kurt clapped his hands. 

The people milled around a bit before settling into the circle of chairs. He watched as Blaine glanced to the door before sitting down next to his brother. 

“So, since we have some new people I’ll start,” he smiled and pressed his hands into his thighs. “My name is Kurt Hummel and I’m an abuse survivor. I was with my boyfriend Darryl for three years and it started off amazingly. 

Darryl was my everything and I wanted so badly to make him happy but Darryl had a few issues. He was insanely jealous of everyone I talked to and often turned it around to make me feel like the person who was wronged. I wanted to make him happy so I dropped out of school and everything just spiraled. 

My friend convinced me to get help and I left. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done but I’m happier now. I’m living life for me and no one else.”

The polite applause echoed through the room and he turned to the woman next to him with a kind smile. 

“We’re going to go around the room and you are welcome to say something if you wish. Remember that there is no judgment in this room, just support,” he nodded and the woman started. 

As everyone said a few words or told their story Kurt looked around the room. He could see the way some of the regulars had grown. He could see the light returning to their eyes and the way their posture got straighter. 

Then he looked at Blaine. The younger man stared intently at his lap while his brother had a completely faked look of interest on his face. When they finally got to him he stayed silent. 

“Blaine?” Kurt prompted softly and his head jerked up, revealing a yellowed bruise on his cheekbone. 

“Pass,” he mumbled down at his lap and Kurt nodded, moving on. 

—

That night Kurt couldn’t sleep. 

He had checked the doors a few times, making absolutely sure they were locked, and lay in bed but was wide awake. It was always difficult to sleep after the meetings. Memories were brought too close to the surface and lingered just below the surface. 

Tonight his mind was focused on Blaine. 

He recognized the way Blaine flinched at sudden movements or noises, the blank look he forced into his eyes, and the way he curled in on himself to make himself look smaller. He saw it all in himself and maybe that was what hit him so hard. 

He wanted to look at Blaine and tell him that things were going to get better now that he had made this step but he knew it wouldn’t do much good. After he asked for help he was told constantly how life was going to change and he remembered how he was so convinced that it wasn’t true. 

It was scary to leave behind what he knew. He had lost so much of who he was being with Darryl and it took so much time and energy to build himself back up. 

Blaine would get better, hopefully with the support of his brother who looked beyond invested in helping. He would get past the fear and eventually gain back the strength he once had. 

Kurt told himself this again and again but still couldn’t go to sleep.

—

Blaine finally spoke in the forth meeting he came to. 

The conversation moved around the circle until it came to him and his brother nudged him slightly. Blaine stiffened and shook his head but Cooper was insistent. 

“Please Blaine,” Cooper whispered and Blaine finally sighed. 

“I hate how it feels to be out of the relationship,” he mumbled. “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I know that he manipulated me and felt no remorse when he hit me but…but I always hoped that he meant it when he said it would be the last time.”

He glanced to his brother for a moment before staring intently down at his lap again. 

“Thank you Blaine,” Kurt said softly and his shoulders relaxed. 

—

The next meeting Blaine came by himself. He was dressed in bright colors and his hair was styled neatly. Kurt made up his mind and walked over to Blaine with a smile on his face. 

“Hey Blaine!” He said warmly and Blaine jumped. 

“Hi,” he whispered, hands clutching the strap of his messenger bag. 

“That shirt is fantastic,” Kurt nodded towards his bright red button up. “Brooks Brothers?”

“Y-yeah,” his fingers moved to restlessly smooth his sleeve cuff. “Good eye.”

“Good fashion isn’t hard to see,” Kurt laughed and Blaine shrunk back little, eyes bright when he looked up at him. 

“I was going through my old clothes and found them…guess I forgot what it was like to wear them,” his face went a little blank and he shook it off. “I should go get my seat.”

Kurt found himself smiling as he walked to his seat as well. 

—

Something was changing in Blaine. 

He was slowly lifting his gaze and his shoulders were straightening. Every so often his lips would quirk into a smile if someone made a joke and Kurt’s stomach would flip. He had never been so invested in one person’s recovery and it was a little confusing for him. 

“If it’s cool…I’d like to share my story,” Blaine spoke up, hands twisting in his lap. “I started dating Roy in high school. He was my first true love and within weeks all I could see was my future with him. He was a year older than me and it just made sense to drop out of high school and follow him to New York. At the time, I just wanted to make him happy. I didn’t take my GED or even think about going to college because Roy didn’t want me to. He said that…I didn’t need to prove how smart I was to him because he already knew. He…did that kind of stuff a lot.

I was stuck in a new city with no friends, no prospects, and no future besides Roy. The verbal and emotional abuse turned physical and it was always my fault. He turned it around so it was always my fault and I was living in fear of upsetting him. 

Then my brother decided to surprise us and…he walked in on Roy punching me and lost it. He beat the crap out of him and took me to the hospital. He’s been amazing, even got an apartment and a job here. He pretty much forced me to come here and it’s been huge, the support as been amazing. So thank you for helping me through my healing.”

Kurt clapped, stomach flipping again at Blaine’s shy smile. 

—

“How long until you started feeling like a real person again? Like a whole person?” Blaine asked as he sipped at lukewarm coffee. “In the beginning I felt like I had lost everything and now I finally feel like things are going to work out. What was it like for you?”

“It took a long time,” Kurt shrugged. “And I still have my demons.”

“Like the thing with the sugar?” Blaine flinched as soon as the words left his mouth. “Sorry! Wow…I have a habit of just spouting off things…that was so rude.”

“It’s fine,” Kurt felt himself blushing. “I’ve always had it to some extent but stress really triggers it. My therapist thinks that it’s a control thing.”

“I get that,” Blaine said softly. 

And Kurt knew he did. He saw so much of himself in Blaine and saw a reflection of his own struggles in him. Maybe the fluttering in his stomach wasn’t just seeing Blaine grow. Maybe it was because he was beginning to see the strong, charming, sweet young man and he liked that person. 

“Some more coffee?” Kurt asked and Blaine nodded, smiling. 

“Maybe you can get me the number to your therapist as well?” Blaine asked, looking a little uncomfortable. “I’m just…ready to move on and be my own person again.”

“I’m more than happy to help.”

—

Blaine stopped coming. 

Two months went by and his chair remained stubbornly empty. Kurt tried his hardest to push Blaine completely out of his mind but he couldn’t. He constantly thought about him, wondered where he was, and how he was doing. 

He was cleaning up after a meeting, sweeping crumbs into the trashcan. With a sigh, he placed the trashcan down and turned around. 

“Hey,” Blaine was standing behind him, giving him that shy smile. “So…not to be rude but the coffee here sucks. I wanted to bring you one.”

“Well, it is cheapest,” Kurt felt himself blush a little. “Long time no see.”

“My GED classes conflicted with the meetings,” Blaine shrugged. “But we had tonight off so I thought I’d swing by but it looks like I got here a little late.”

“It’s good to see you,” Kurt took the coffee and wrapped both his hands around it. “How have you been?”

“I really didn’t want to come the first time,” Blaine looked down at his own cup. “But seeing you and how strong you are lit a fire under me. I finally wanted to start living for myself and I just wanted to say thank you.”

“I was just doing my job,” Kurt felt the blush darken. “But it was really great seeing you get better and stronger. You inspire me Blaine.”

They both stood in silence for a few more minutes before Blaine took a deep breath. “Maybe I could take you out to dinner as well?”

“Sure,” Kurt grinned. “But I’ll pay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: BPotD with a slight change: klaine meet at a domestic abuse support group; Kurt is the facilitator, and he sees a lot of his old self in the new guy who talks so quietly he has to strain to hear him and won’t look up from his lap most of the time


End file.
